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August 2025: COR Audit Action Plan - Mid Year Update, Utilizing your vacation days and Back to school tips for parents and guardians

Posted on Aug 20, 2025

COR Audit Action Plan – Mid Year Update

Here are a few important actions we’ve taken so far this year based on the results from our 2024 COR Audit. These changes are intended to help make our workplaces even safer and stronger as we move forward together.

Check out what’s new and how your role helps support health and safety for everyone!

Completed COR Audit Action Items to date:

Suggestion: Increase senior management participation in Health and Safety activities to further demonstrate their commitment to Health and Safety.

Action: Nancy Simmonds, CEO and Robyn Zachary, Director of Operations participated in the Mental Health First Aid training at SBL and CBL in March to visibly demonstrate their commitment to health and safety.

Suggestion: Provide further support sites with Field Level Hazard Assessments (FLHA’s) to encourage creation of FLHA’s when required to ensure the right safety measures are in place and help prevent accidents.

Action: FLHA samples and templates were created and shared with sites to help ensure all new or occasional tasks evaluated.

Suggestion: Make Health and Safety Committee (HSC) more visible to site teams so staff are aware who from their site is on the committee and that committee members participate in ongoing meetings and actively address safety issues.

Action: In-person HSC meetings were scheduled at each lodge in 2025 to help HSC members be more visible to staff before and after the meetings and policy was updated to make one in-person meeting per year mandatory.

Suggestion: Implement an annual review of Training Matrix to ensure all established training is kept current and valuable to individual roles.

Action: Annual review of the Training Matrix for all roles began in June and policy will be updated shortly to ensure annual review is established.

Suggestion: Ensure COR Audit Results and the Audit Action Plan are well communicated to site teams, so all staff are aware of the results.

Action: The COR Audit results and Action Plan were distributed to staff in the online HHF Staff Newsletter, on posters and in printouts in the Staff Room, and discussed in staff meetings to ensure all are aware of the results demonstrating the performance of HHF’s Safety Management Systems and efforts made by the organization to improve the program where improvement is required.

Click here for poster. 

UTILIZING YOUR VACATION DAYS

Hey there!  How many vacation days have you taken this year?  There is still lots of time to book a vacation if you haven't used it all.  At Heartland Housing Foundation we recognize the importance of personal time off for the health and well-being of its employees (that's you!)  Please speak with your manager to determine if you have any remaining vacation time to utilize before the year is up.    Even if you get paid your vacation on each cheque you deserve the time off.  Ensuring that you take your minimum allotted time means that you are taking care of you, and you deserve it.... after all, you are so great at taking care of the residents, let’s make sure you are taken care of too!

 

Back to school tips for parents and guardians

A new year for many kids means new teachers, supplies, clothes, classrooms and for some, a new school, and friends. It's normal to have some apprehension about the unknown. The good news is that there are some things that parents or guardians can do to ease their minds to create a positive experience. If you are a parent or guardian, below are a few tips to assist you in transitioning your kids back to school.

  1. Choose the right backpack – Backpacks can get very heavy and can also be worn incorrectly. This can result in muscle strain, headaches, and neck pain. Choose a backpack made of sturdy, lightweight fabric with wide padded straps to support the shoulders.
  2. Talk about safety – Rehearse the walk to school. Talk about things like looking both ways before crossing the street and taking the same route every day. If taking the bus, practice walking to the bus stop. Familiarize your child with crosswalk rules and being cautious in talking to strangers.
  3. Get back into a school sleep schedule – A few weeks before school starts, get your child into the habit of going to bed earlier. Gentle wind-down activities such as bath time and reading before bed can help your child relax. Limit screen time and “unplug” before bedtime.
  4. Re-establish a routine – Routine is especially important. If your children are old enough sit with them and write out a routine such as homework, after school activities, making lunches, and getting ready for bed.

Here are some additional resources: